Automatic matrix registering device



Nov. '15, 1-938. H. A. w. WOOD 2,137,190 I ,.-AUTOMATIC MATRIX REGISTERING DEVICE I Original Filed Sept. 11, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 15, 1938. H. A. w. WOOD 2,137,190

AUTOMATIC" MATRIX REGI STERING DEVI CE Original Filed se t. '11. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 jvec/erz or? Original Filed Sept. 11, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nmn 15, 1938. H. A. W. WOOD 2,137,39Q

AUTOMATICMATRIX REGISTERING DEVIGE' Original Filed Sept. 11 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 z y JZ i n E jL I m J I f s: Q

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Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES 7 2.132190 1' p AUTOMATIC MATRIX REGIsrERIfic DEVICE 1 Henry A. Wise W'o odjNew "York; "N. Y., assignor to Wood Newspaper Machinery Corporation, New,York, N;.Y., acorporatio'n of Virginia.

Application September 11, 191

El; serial mant s;

Renewed November 16, 1937, 7 Claims. -(c1. 22-'-z 1 i This invention relates to that type of casting machine which is used for casting stereotype printing plates, mostly for newspaper work, wherein the matrix is set in clips, automatically 5 stripped from the plate and. the machine "is ready for the casting of another plate without any additional setting of the matrix on thepart of the operator, Machines for this purpose are commonly used in newspaper work particularly 10 in black and white printing. The principal objectsof this invention are ,to

secure accurate register in black and white printing, but particularlyincolor printing; to provide a method whereby in casting a number of platesfrom a single setting of amatrix the difiiculty usually encountered in maintaining accurate register is eliminated; toprovide a con struction in which the natural tendency for the matrix tocreep little by little at each casting will be corrected so that the cumulative movement of the matrix in the casting of a plurality of plates cannot occur because the correction is made automatically after the. casting of each plate; and to provide iorthe automatic registration of the matrix after each-casting operation so that the matrix will always be in proper registration at the casting of each plate, whereby the matrix will be in exactly the same position when the last plate is cast as it will be atthe. casting q of the first or any intermediate plate. 7 v Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- 'inatrix clamping arrangement with apreferred embodiment of this invention applied thereto and with the matrixbars and clips inproper position for locating the matrix before'the first cast; a I

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the next step in the clamping of the matrix andshowing the registering pins properly positioningthe matrix; Fig. 3 is asimilar View showing the matrix fully clamped against the casting box ready for the c'ast,-with the registering pinswithdrawn so that any slight movement of the matrix will not injure the registering holes in the matrix;

Fig. 4 is a similarview showing the position Fig. 1 is a plan, partly in section, showing the rotatable orfotherwise movable to free or discharge the. platejcast between them. The. invention is, applicable, of course, to casting boxes of thisgeneraltype whether they are. arranged vertically or,;.otherwise, and m, 'fact-tothose in which the cylinder is ,bodily .,movable instead of the back.

The backisl shown as provided with amatrix bar 2 mountedin bearings} carried by the back. Thein'atrix bar is provided with top and. bottom ,studs Barranged vertically and, in this case, they oscillate in the bearings 3., At the topa torsion springlis provided withone end attached to the top bearing ii and the, other end to the matrix bar. This spring iswound and tensionedso as to tend to keep thematrix bar in the position shown The usual matrix clip 8 is shown provided with studs 9 operating inslanting slots .IU in the matrix bar, to clamp the matrix. Theslots ID ,are placed at an angle with respect tothelength of the bar 2, and provided with a large opening at, the top. This permits theremoval andreplacement of the clip 8 as desired. .Theclamping member is used for properly clamping the edge of thematrix between the clip 8 and'the matrix bar 2. These parts are duplicated on the .oppos iteedge. These features just,described are old,.and it is customary, in a machine of; this kind, to provide means for prop erly adjusting the clamping action. It is to be understood that this invention is applicable to a casting box so made-but these features are not illustrated here as they are so-well known.

Fixed to the, top of the top stud is a locking lever II, one endoi which is shaped to cooperate withacam I2 secured to thecylinder I3.- From observationnf Fig. 3; it will be seen that when the .back I is moved toward thecylinder I3 the lock- .ing leverll-engages the cam I2 during, themotion of the backland-before that motion is completed. The--completion oi the motion of the ,back into its final position, therefore, results in swinging-the locking lever- I I backwardly, taking with it; the matrixbar'Z, the clip 8, and also the ,matrix, the edge of. which, ofco-urse; is gripped between the clipiand the bar.- This brings the matrix firmly; against the back I so that it is.

locked in. proper position for the casting of a 'stereotype,plataagainst it.

Theother end .of' the locking lever II is provided with two-notches 4 and 6 for cooperation with a roller I I which is mounted rotatably on a stud carried by; the locking handle I5. This lever is pivoted to the back by a stud I9. 1

.Referring now'to Fig- 1, the back I may be considered as away from the cylinder, but the -matrix bar'and clips are iiiproper position for iocati-ngthe matrix'befo re"theb'ack is' moved into casting position. The roller I4 is now located in the outside notch 4 of the lockinglever II. It

will be understood that a similar arrangement is carried on the other side of theback.-v .In this position there is a slight amount of clearance from one clip 8 to the other over the entire length of the matrix. This permits the matrix to' be slid into the clips easily in the ,proper ,place.

When this is done the locking handle I5 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the roller M engages the inside notch 6 of the locking lever, and the clip 8 is moved toward'the matrixbar 2 to lock the edge of the matrix vbetweenthem.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 5, it will be seen that a shaft I6 is carried in bearings on the matrix bar 2 and has secured to it a lever I1 and pin arms I8. On the locking handle I5 is a cam projection which engages one end of the lever II in this position and, on account of the motion of the locking handle I; just described, rotates this lever "slightly in a counter-clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the pin arms [8 move inwardly against theends of the matrix locating pins 2 I. This forces these pins from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 through previously punched holes in the matrix, this action being resisted by a pair of springs. These pins have conical ends so that they willgo through the holes in the matrix and, as the holes are the same size as the pins, they will register the matrix perfectly and bring the matrix into the proper position for casting the first plate.

However, before the plate is cast, the lockinghandles l5 are opened to the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position a projection on the lever I1 comes to bear against thesolid portion of the back, preventing further clockwise rotation of the shaft [6 and holding it in the position shown in Fig. 4. As the matrix bar 2 pivots around the center of the studs 5 the pins M are again projected through the holes in the matrix. Their ends enter recesses 22 in the clips 8. Afterward, as the casting back I moves further forward, the locking lever ll cooperates with the locking cam l2 and the relative motion of these two parts permits the springs 23 to withdraw'the pins 2|. This leaves the matrix free to move except for the friction hold that the .clips 8 exert against the matrix bar Z. This arrangement is provided because the contraction'of the stereotype metal just after the pouring is one of the causes of the creeping of the matrix. The power exerted by this contraction is so tremendousthat any attempt to hold the matrix firmly against creeping would result in the rupture of the matrix at the holding point and thereby destroy any possibility of relocating-the matrix.

After the first plate is cast the casting back of course is drawn away-from the cylinder and the parts take the position'shown in Fig. 4, as stated. Here the pins 2| -reengage in the holes of the matrix and any slight tendency of the matrix to move is corrected immediately after the casting operation by the insertionof these conically pointed pins and the matrix is brought back to its original position or re-registered. Any number of castings may be made with this arrangement and the matrix is re-registered automatically after each casting and before the plate is removed. Therefore the last plate maintains as accurate a register as the first or any intermediate plate.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but What I claim is:

p 1. In a stereotype plate casting box, the combination with a cylinder adapted to be turned on its axis and a casting back movabletoward and from the cylinder, of registering pins carried by said back, a locking handle, and means operated by the locking handle for moving said registering pins into a position to register the matrix while the mold is open.

2. In a stereotype plate casting box, the combination with a cylinder adapted to be turned on its axis and a casting back movable toward and from the cylinder, of registering pins carried by said back, a locking handle, means operated by the locking handle for moving said registering pins into a position to register the matrix while the mold is open and means for withdrawing the said pins from the matrix as the mold is closed and for thereafter projecting the pins to a position to re-register the matrix before the mold is closed for the second casting.

3. In a casting box, the combination with a cylinder and a casting back movable toward and from the cylinder to form the mold for the plate, of means for holding the edge of a matrix provided with perforations, matrix pins adapted to pass through said perforations to register the matrix, a locking cam on the cylinder, a locking vided with perforations, matrix pins adapted to a pass through said perforations to register the matrix, a locking cam on the cylinder, a locking lever movably mounted on the back, a handle for locking the back to the cylinder, means carried by the handle for moving said locking lever from one position to another in one of which positions the locking lever engages the cam and moves backward as the back moves forward, and means connected with said locking lever for registering the matrix.

5. In a casting box for newspaper printing plates, the combination with a cylinder and a back movable toward and from the cylinder, of a locking cam fixed on the cylinder, a locking lever pivo'tally mounted on the back and adapted to engage said cam, said locking lever having two recesses, a handle for locking the back in' casting position, a cam projection on the locking lever, and means operated by the lever for registering the matrix, whereby the contact of said cam projection with said lever will operate the registering means as the back is closed.

6. In a plate casting mechanism, the combination of means for registering a matrix, means for casting a plate, a spring for withdrawing the reg istering means, and a cam for re-registering the matrix before casting the next plate.

'7. A plate casting mechanism comprising a matrix and a cam and lever for automatically registering a matrix, withdrawing the registering means, and re-registering the matrix between the casting of each plate.

. HENRY A. WISE WOOD. 

